Suction cleaner



April 3,1934. E. BUT-2ER 1,953,586

SUCTIQN CLEANER Filed Dec. 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 'l E I Hm il [un jmz Eayeaf en @y www P 3, 1934-I E. Bu'rzl-:R

SUCTION CLEANER Filed nec, 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

Patented pr. 3, i934 UNITED STATES SUCTION CLEANER,v

Eugene Butzer, Basel, Switzerland, assignor to The HooverCompany, North Canton, Ohio, a.

n corporation f Ohio Application December 15, 1930, Serial No. 502,277

s claims. (el. 15-8)v The present invention relates to suction cleaners, and particularly to a new and improved construction for maintaining the belt tension in a suction cleaner of the type including a rotary brush or agitator. More specifically the invention comprises the provision, in a suction cleaner of the rotary agitator type in which the power-transmitting belt between the motor shaft and the agitator is positioned in the passageway which conveys the dirt laden air, of an improved construction for maintaining belt tension.

In the drawings in which preferred embodiments or the present invention are disclosed:

Fig. 1 ls a side view of a suction cleaner, with certain parts broken away and shown in section, which embodies a preferred form of the present invention. i

Fig. 2 is a partial section upon the line 2- of Fig. 1;.

Fig. 3l is a section upon the line 3-3'of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a detail.

Fig. 6 is a view similar-to Fig. 4 ofA a still further embodiment of the present invention and is taken upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 'l is a partial section upon the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 6 of a still further modified embodiment of the present invention and taken upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a section upon the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a section of Fig. 9. In the drawings and in Figures 1 to 5 in particular, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed embodied in a modern suction cleaner. The cleaner comprises a main casting 1 (which includes a nozzle 2, a fan .chamber 3 and an exhaust outlet 4 to which is secured a suitable dust bag 5. Mounted upon the main casting 1 immediately over the fan chamber 3 is the motor casing 6 which houses a suitable driving motor for the cleaner. The motor is not shown but the'driving shaft 6a thereof projects down- `wardly thru the fan chamber 3, lwhere it carries the suction-creating fan '7, thru the eye 8 of the fan chamber and into the air' passageway 9, which extends from the nozzle 2 to the eye-of the fan chamber, where it carries the driving pulley 10. The air passageway v9 is defined by the main casting 1 in cooperation with the bottom plate 11 f. and the removable pulley housing 12 immediately in the rear thereof. As in thel usual suction cleaner of this type, a rotatable surface-contacting agitator 13 is provided within the nozzle 2 which is connected to4 the driving pulley 10 by means of the belt 14. The cleaner is movably supported upon the surface undergoing cleaning by means of front and rear supporting wheels 15 and 16 respectivelyv whilev a suitable pivoted handle 17 is provided by means of which the operator can propel the cleaner.

The present invention comprises the new and novel means by Whichthe agitator 13 is supported within the nozzle 2 for the purpose of maintaining the necessary tension in the driving belt 14 which is requisite for the efficient transmission of power from the driving motor. `According to the present preferred embodiment a pivoted bearing plate 18 is carried at each end of the nozzle 2 being suitably supported as by means of a pin 19. Bearing plate 18 includes an offset portion which is positioned within a rectangular recess 21 formed in the side wall of the nozzle 25 Plate 18 is also provided with a slot 22 which extends substantially vertically and which is adapted to receive, and seat at its upper end, the stationary supporting shaft 23 of agitator 13. Each end of the agitator shaft is firmly held in the upper end of slot 22 by means of a suitable spring 24 carried by the adjacent side arm of the pivoted U-frame -25 which encircles the interior of the nozzle 2 at its mouth and which provides, in its front cross member 26, the front lip for the nozzle, the rear lip 27 being provided by the bottom plate 11. Frame 25 is supported at the rear of the nozzle mouth, as defined by lips 26 and 27, upon the supporting axles 28, 28 of the front supporting wheels 15, l5 and is adapted to be pivoted downwardly and out ci the nozzle upon the release of the securing means 29 which, in the working position,'function to hold it in place within the nozzle.

In operation the agitator is supported within the nozzle 2 with the ends of the non-rotating shaft 23 withinthe slots 22, 22 of the bearing plates 18, 18 at the ends of the nozzle. The belt 14, which is connected between the agitator 13 and the driving pulley 10 tends to draw vthe agitator towards the driving pulley thereby tending to pivot the bearing plates 18, 18 rearwardly, or counter-clockwise as viewed in Figures l and 4. This movement of each pivoted plate 18 is opposed by the spring 24 carried by the U-frame 25 which contacts the non-rotating thread guard 23a of the agitator carried by shaft 23 and which performs the double function of maintaining the said shaft at the top of the slot '22 and also of tending to pivot or urge bearing plate 18 ina clockwise direction, or fromthe pulley 10. Springs 24, 24 are of suiiicient strength that a tension is placed in the driving belt 14 which is desirable for the load which it is to carry.l The recess 21 in the nozzle side wall within which the offset portion of each bearing plate 18 fits is rectangular and slightly larger than the portion and as the portionis provided with non-parallel downwardly-converging sides, the limiting positions of the plate is determined by the contacting 'of the sides of the recess by the sides of the olset portion. The tension which can be placed upon the belt is thereby limited as is the transverse movement of the agitator in the nozzle.

To remove the agitator 13 from the nozzle 2 it is only necessary to release the securing means 29, which is of an ordinary and well known type, and to pivot the frame 25 downwardly as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. With the U-frame in this position the springs 24, 24 can exert no retaining force uponthe agitator thread guards 23a, 23a and the agitator drops downwardly from the slots 22, 22 of bearing plates 18, 18. This operation is only necessary 'when it is required to replace a worn belt or to repair the agitator and is accomplished with as little effort as in the ordinary construction unprovided with belt-tensioning means.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 in particular, a modified embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in which the bearing plate 13 is not simply pivoted upon the supporting pin 19 but is provided, at that point of support, with a vertically elongated slot 40 which permits of vertical movement of the plate 18 relative to the pin. A compression spring 41 is pro.- vided which is secured atone of its ends to plate 18 and is adapted to slide along the curved surface thereof at its other end contacting the underside of the nozzle 2 at its center. This spring functions to force the plate 18 downwardly and the supporting shaft 23 which is seated within the slot 22 of plate 18, into contact with the upper edge of the side arm of the U-frame 25 which passes thereunder.l The spring 24 at each embodiment'.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10 a still further embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. According to this embodiment the bearing plate and U-frame of the 'previous embodiments have been done away with and in their place are provided sliding end plates 80. both ends being duplicates of that shown in Figure 8. Plates 80, 80 are provided with horizontally extended slots 81 at their rearmost extremities which enclose land are adapted to slide upon pins 82, 82 which are permanently carried bythe nozzle 2. A second slot 83 is provided in each end plate 80 which slidingly encloses a suitable pin or plunger 84 which. for the purpose of permitting the end plates to be pivoted downwardly out of the nozzle 2, is constructed so as to be removable and is provided with a retaining spring 85 which is adapted to seat within one of two spaced seats 86 or 87 to hold the plunger in operative, or out of operative, relation with the end plate 80. With the plunger withdrawn outwardly from the slot 83 in each plate 80, as may be accomplished by simply turning and exerting a pull thereon to overcome the force of spring 85, it is possible to pivot the end plate 80 downwardly from the nozzle about the rear supporting pins 82, 82 as an axis.

Plates 80 are connected at their forward ends by a transversely extending member 88 which functions as the' front nozzle lips of the nozzle 2, there being a suitable felt seal 89 carried by member 88 which contacts the lower edge of the front wall of nozzle 2 in air tight relationship preventing the passage of air therebetween. Each end plate 80 is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined slot90 within which the agitator supporting shaft 23 is seated being held therein by the tension of the belt while a spring 91 is provided upon each. end wall of the nozzle which contacts the end plate 80 and urges it forwardly within the nozzle and so tensions the driving belt.

In this modification ,the transverse horizontal movement of the agitator by the end plates- 80, 80 is limited only by the movement permitted by the length of the slots 81 and 83 which are so designed as to permit sufficient movement to insure proper tensioning of the driving belt.. Io remove the agitator from the nozzle it is only necessary, as aforedescribed, to withdraw the plungers 84, 84 from the slots 83, 83 whereupon the plates 80, 80 and their connection member 88 are pivoted about the rear supporting pins 82, 82 downwardly from the nozzle.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing comprising a nozzle, a fan chamber, and a passageway therebetween', a rotary agitator in said nozzle, a driving belt in said passageway connected to said agitator, freely pivoted memberswithin said nozzle, and resilient means securing said agitator relative to said pivoted members and tending to pivot said members against the tension in the driving belt.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing comprising a nozzle, a fan chamber, and a passageway therebetween, a rotary agitator including a supporting element in said nozzle, a driving belt in said passageway in operative relationship with said agitator, pivoted plates mounted at the opposite ends of said nozzle having downwardly opening slots seating said supporting element, and resilient means at the nozzle ends forcing said supporting 130 element into said slots and exerting a force to pivot said plates against the tension inthe said driving belt.

3. Ina suction cleaner, a casing comprising a nozzle, a fan chamber, and a passageway there- 135 between, a rotary agitator including a supporting element in said nozzle, a driving belt in said passageway connected to said agitator, pivoted plates mounted at the opposite ends of said supporting element-and having downwardly opening slots, 140 a pivoted frame within said nozzle extending beside the nozzle end wallsand adapted to be pivoted therefrom, and a. spring at each side of said frame forcing said supporting element into said slots and'exerting a force tending to pivot 145 said plates against the tension in said driving belt.'

EUGENE BUTZER. 

